Aelin's Return
by fireheartmatilda
Summary: It's been 60 years and Aelin is finally home. But what and who has she returned to? More importantly, who's left?


**Author's Note:**

 **So this is just a short story that I wrote because I was** **procrastinating from my homework and I had spent the whole day with these scenes playing out in my head. Anyway, I hope you like it. Please feel free to leave reviews, because I always love to hear what you think.**

 **. . .**

Aelin stirred in the Fae prince's arms, as though she felt her home around her. Her eyes fluttered open and she was met with the deep green eyes of her mate. He was real, she wasn't dreaming. A small strangled sound escaped her and she flung her arms around his neck and breathed him in. Her legs hovered just above the floor now and she remained with her face nestled in Rowan's chest. She couldn't believe it, she was really out. He had saved her.

"You were asleep for days." Rowan murmured into Aelin's hair, his voice sending a shiver through her. She had never held onto anything tighter, she needed for him to not slip away from her. There were only a few things keeping her from pulling off his shirt and taking him now.

"Where are we?" She asked, unable to bring her face away from him. Her voice was weak, but she didn't care. Rowan pulled her face away from his, staring at her intently. Emotion raged in those eyes, the eyes she had dreamed of for so many years. Love, pain, hope and something else. Something Aelin couldn't quite place.

"We're in Teressan, Aelin. We're home." She couldn't bring herself to smile, even at that. She hadn't smiled since that day on the beach. She still didn't look around the palace that she was stood in. She just watched her mate. "Aelin," Rowan paused and Aelin felt something change. She didn't want to hear what he was about to say. He seemed unsure how to approach it. "Do you know how much time has passed, Fireheart?" She furrowed her brow. A small headshake. She hadn't had any way of keeping track, and those around her didn't age. She knew it must have been years and years. Could she have been gone for a whole decade? Rowan bit his lip. His hand cupped her cheek, as though he needed the same contact she did, to prove that this was truly happening. "It has been 60 years, my love." Aelin let out a long sigh. Her mind cleared and she couldn't think of anything. "We can talk about everything afterwards, all of it, but you need to do something first." His face was grim and Aelin stepped out of his embrace. She couldn't bear to hear him say the words. She couldn't even think about who she may have to face.

"Where?" Aelin barely heard herself say it, her voice breaking. Rowan closed his eyes.

"Upstairs, third door on the right." Aelin didn't think, she just moved. The stairs were directly behind her and she barely registered climbing them. She didn't know if she was running, or if she was walking. She was vaguely aware of soft footsteps following her. She didn't think, she just went. She reached the doors and she pushed them open. The room was empty, as though waiting for her, aside from the man on the bed. Aelin felt her heart stop in her chest, for there on the bed, grey haired and pale, lay Chaol Westfall.

She closed the doors after a minute. She had needed that minute to regain thought. To stop herself screaming, running out. She needed it to gather the strength to walk over to the bed and face her friend. He was sat up, but his eyes were closed. Gods, he was still handsome, despite being pale and his face was so thin. She looked at him for a second, this big connection, this huge presence in her life. He had saved her, after Endovier, it was him and Dorian who had pulled her back from the edge. The three of them had been a team, before Celaena had left for Wedlyn. Looking at his face she felt a small stab of guilt.

"Hello, Captain," Aelin choked on the familiarity of the words, on the memories those two words dredged up. She had a feeling a lot more would come up in the next few minutes. A second passed and Aelin wondered if she might have to repeat herself.

"You always did like to make an entrance." The voice was soft and so quiet that she might not have even heard it without her Fae hearing. "Naturally, you wait till I'm at death's door to saunter back." She let out something that was more of a laugh mixed with a sob, at the humor in his voice.

"Well, you haven't seen me in 60 years, you should at least open your eyes. What happened to the gentleman who decided it was only proper for a young lady to be escorted around the palace for the first few months she lived there?" She moved to the other side of the bed and lay down next to him. He chuckled, and she wanted to cry at how easily they had fallen back into their pattern.

"Of course, that was how you decided to interpret the close guard that I kept on Ardalan's assassin." He gave a strained smile, and she nestled her face into his neck. "I waited for you, all these years, I thought, one day Aelin will make her grand entrance, and I'm going to be there to see it. I wanted to see you at least once more." A tear slipped down her cheek, and she felt his labored breaths where her head remained on his chest. "It wasn't the same. When we returned from Antica, I thought there was something different about you. It all made sense when Dorian told me where you were." Aelin gasped slightly at the sound of their friend's name, but didn't want to ask, was too afraid to know.

"We?" she queried, and sensed Chaol's blush, accompanied by a smile.

"Yrene Towers. I met her in Antica, and when we returned here it was as husband and wife. She helped in the war, as she had the power to remove the Valg from the infected. She was so beautiful. She knew you, as well." Aelin squeezed his hand.

"How?" She breathed, trying desperately to stay in control of her emotions, to stay strong. "She said you saved her once. She said a beaten-up assassin taught her how to defend herself and allowed her the freedom to become the healer that she was." Aelin's heart clenched as she remembered the bar-maid she had met lifetimes ago, before everything. The Gods really liked to bring back people from her past, her whole life was decided years before her parents were even alive. "She died two days ago. I should have died with her but I have been trying so hard to hold on, to stay alive. Our souls are bound and I can only hold on so long before I get to return to my wife." Aelin closed her eyes. So, this was why he was so frail, why he was having to try so hard to stay for just a little while. "She wanted to meet you, she wanted to meet our third musketeer, from all the stories. Me, you and Dorian against the world. I missed that sometimes." She felt Chaol smiling at the thought of his friend. "He survived it, you know. The lock. Somehow that witch helped him. He survived. He became King and had children with golden eyes and dark hair, a family. Gods, I was away a few months and you can't keep him away from a witch." Aelin laughed slightly through her tears, remembering how she had wished for Chaol's company on that ship, if only to see his reaction as their friend fell for Manon Blackbeak. "No, she wasn't all bad. I mean, as you can expect, me and her had some issues, but she made Dorian happy. She reminded me a little of someone actually. Arrogant, sarcastic…" He laughed.

"What were you saying about missing me, again?" Aelin quipped back. He laughed again, but this time it turned into a cough. She couldn't bring herself to look at him, at the barely living reminder of how much she had missed, of who she had missed. She couldn't bring herself to ask about the others. She didn't have to.

"Dorian passed away a few years ago. He was a wonderful King, but an even better friend. He never forgot about you. Our fire-kissed friend he called you. You're quite famous with his grandchildren actually." He laughed again, but Aelin couldn't. She was having trouble breathing. She was having trouble doing anything but holding on. "He wanted to wait as well. He tried so hard to hold on. Eventually, Manon told him she would pass on his message, that he could go now. He made her promise not to leave their family, to wait until they were ready. She promised, she really was his true partner. He died the next day." Aelin clasped his hand tighter, afraid that if she let go, she might not be able to control herself. "Can I see you again? Please, just one last time. I want to know that you're real, not just Lysandra trying to give me peace of mind." Aelin knew that if her heart wasn't already broken, it would be now. Leaning up to his ear, she whispered something that even with Fae hearing no-one else would be able to hear. When she pulled back, Chaol was smiling. "I missed you Aelin." His eyes bore into hers and she could feel him slipping away. She gave her friend one last gift. For the first time in 60 years, she smiled. A small, broken smile, but a smile all the same.

Chaol closed his eyes and as she watched his chest move up and down for the last time, Aelin murmured, "Tell them hello from me, Captain." Chaol Westfall smiled one last time, and died. Aelin felt it, like a final stab in the gut, that death settling over the room. She leaned down and kissed her friend on the cheek, before moving off the bed and walking out of the room.

Aelin remained composed as she closed the doors behind her, floated down the hallway and found a small nook, where a large stone statue of some goddess stood. Aelin didn't care, she just slid down the wall and cried. She lost all sense of her surroundings, she just half sat, half lay on the floor of her palace and sobbed. Chaol, dead. Dorian, dead. People that she had loved so dearly, people that she had clung onto in that iron coffin, that had helped her make it through, because she knew that if she could just hold on, she could see them. She was wrong, so wrong. She saw her dying friend who had no one left, who had waited for her before slipping away. She had the tales of Dorian's life, a life she should have shared with him. She should have been in those tales, trading books, eating chocolate cakes, playing with Fleetfoot. She should have been there for the prince who had saved her, and accepted her no matter what. She should have been there when he died and asked to see her. She had missed them, the lives of her friends. At some point she had started screaming, she couldn't stop, she couldn't keep it in. She murmured their names, the names of the fallen. The names that had gotten her through those dark moments.

Her voice was hoarse and her eyes were dry. She didn't think there were any tears left. She thought of all the time that had passed, and as she thought more, her head cleared. She was reminded of the others who might be gone. The others who she was unsure of their fates. She needed to find her family, or what was left of them.

Staggering to her feet, Aelin ran down the hallway, back to where she and Rowan had first entered. She was running so fast, she almost ran past the staircase that led to the foyer she was looking for. Sliding to a stop, Aelin twisted and made to run down the staircase, but was frozen in her tracks by the sight that she saw over the banister. A small huddle of people, whispering to each other in hushed tones. Aelin was sure that if she wasn't so occupied with watching and examining the group, she could have heard what they were saying. Her foot hit the first step with a light tap, but every head snapped to her. Seven pairs of eyes bore into her and the weight of their gazes made Aelin want to crumble to the floor. She remained where she was, staring over the group from the balcony. They had spread out into an almost perfect semi-circle, and Aelin swept her eyes over each of them in turn. Rowan, at the foot of the stairs with his worried expression. Manon, Lorcan, Elide, Gavriel, Luca, Lysandra. She started to move again, one foot falling in front of the other, until once more, she was almost running down the stairs. She kept her eyes trained on the floor, concerned that if she looked up once more, she wouldn't be able to contain herself. She reached out for Rowan's hand at the bottom of the stairs, and he pulled her close.

As the scent of pine and snow hit her, Aelin's eyes welled with tears. Her eyes remained on her feet as Rowan asked, "Chaol?". Aelin couldn't bear to say anything, so instead gave a small nod and her mate squeezed her hand gently. After a moment, though, she had to face her family. She couldn't do it all at once. Instead, she stepped past Rowan, feeling him tense up at the distance between them, but ignoring it and looking up at Manon Blackbeak. The witch grinned back at Aelin, nodding at the Queen.

"You took your time." Aelin rolled her eyes and raised her eyebrows at Manon.

"Sorry. Next time, I'll try to escape faster." Manon's expression turned serious and Aelin closed her eyes and looked down, knowing what was coming.

"Chaol told you." It wasn't a question, but Aelin nodded anyway. "He loved you very much Aelin. He said that he liked to think about what it would have been like if you were there. He took care of Fleetfoot for you. Evangeline wanted to, but he said that he better take her back to her home in Ardalan. Maybe one day, her owner would return and he could gift Fleetfoot to you the same way he did once before. He was heartbroken when she died. He tried so hard to wait for you, Aelin. He told our whole family about you." Manon gave a small laugh. "We had to wait until they were a little older, in case the stories were too scary. He figured it would be better than telling them how their mother killed Crochan witched for years." Manon stopped and Aelin opened her eyes and looked back up to the witch.

She suddenly felt an overwhelming wave of gratitude. "Thank you, Manon. For saving him. For giving him a life." Manon smiled at her and Aelin moved away. This might take a long time if they all had something to share with her.

Elide stood slightly in front of Lorcan with his hand on her shoulder. She looked but a few years older than when Aelin had last seen her. She supposed her witch blood had been the result of that. She hardly waited for Aelin to greet her before flinging her arms around her neck. Aelin felt Elide's soft tears as they hugged.

"I'm sorry," Elide breathed into her queen's shoulder. "I should have gone with you. I am so so sorry." Lorcan was looking sorrowfully at his wife, but gave Aelin a smile when she met his eyes. In return, she grinned at him. She guessed he was grateful enough at her saving Elide that he had moved past some of his previous issues with her.

Squeezing Elide tightly before pushing her back so that she could look into her eyes, Aelin said softly, "You have nothing to be sorry about, Elide Lochan. Not one thing." Then her eyes moved to the ring on Elide's finger. "And congratulations," she said winking at Elide. The she looked back at Lorcan and raised an eyebrow. "You are a very lucky male. Gods know why she chose you." He just dipped his head and gave her a small scowl. She just laughed. "There's the Lorcan I missed."

This time he smiled and looked from his wife to Aelin. "Welcome home, Your Majesty." She smiled at him again, and released Elide's hand that she had been clutching. She moved past the pair and stood in front of Gavriel.

"Well, hello again, kitty cat." He gave a small chuckle and pulled her into a short hug. In his ear she whispered, "Thank you, for trying to help me on that beach." He pulled back and gave her a gentle smile. She looked at his golden hair and bit back the question about the presence that was missing from the room. The man who looked so much like the one in front of her. She wasn't ready for the answer he might give. Gavriel's face settled into concern and Aelin thought maybe he would tell her anyway.

Instead, though, he asked softly, "The cadre?". Aelin's mouth quipped up at the side when she heard her pet name for Maeve's blood sworn. Then she frowned slightly, thinking about the answer she must give.

"Fenrys and Connall got out. They should be coming to Teressan any minute." Gavriel let out a small sigh of relief. "Vaughn chose to stay. He was kind but he said he had a family to think of." Gavriel nodded and gave her another smile. Once more, she nearly asked about her cousin, whether he was away or late or… Instead she smiled back at Gavriel and moved on once more.

Luca was almost exactly the same as when she had last seen him, with a large smile and twinkling eyes. He was, however, grey and slightly hunched over, but that didn't stop him bowing when she approached. She placed a hand on his shoulder, willing him to rise, to face her. "Elentiya," he said, his voice unchanged by time. Something about it was different though. His accent was changed somehow. She decided that it must just have been the aging.

She beamed at her friend and at the memories the name brought up, not only of Nehemia, but of early mornings at Mistward, of Luca's gossip and tales round a fire. "Luca, I've missed you." Softly she hugged him and despite his age he gripped her tightly. "You're in Teressan?" she asked, curious about his presence. He smiled at her again, as though he couldn't contain his joy. She loved that about him.

"Yes, my family moved here after Emrys and Malakai passed." His smile slipped for a moment and Aelin closed her eyes briefly before hugging her friend again.

"I'm sorry Luca." She breathed. She had known about this absence, but still it hurt to see her friend's loss. He nodded.

"I know. I'm sorry too. He wanted me to tell you goodbye." They pulled back, but she gripped his hands in hers. "Malakai wanted me to tell you that being a queen doesn't get you off kitchen duty." She laughed at that and he grinned along with her. "He told stories till the very end. He told your story too." She frowned slightly. There had been enough rumors after what had happened with the ilken and at Ardalan, that she had assumed most people would know parts of her story. Seeing her confusion, Luca shook his head. "He told the story of a broken young woman who called herself Elentiya. She worked in the kitchen and kept to herself, not opening up about why she was there. She trained with a cold brute warrior and breathed fire. She protected our home at Mistward and became a close friend." She smiled broadly at the old man in front of her and loved the person that he knew, that they had told stories about.

"I suppose, then, I'll report to the kitchen in the morning then, my friend."

"I'll make sure that you do." She was glad that he was here, that they were all here and pushed away the missing presence in the room and the body of her friend upstairs and the dark-haired king who should be here too. Instead she stepped towards the final person in the room, who already had tears pouring down her face.

"Aelin," Lysandra whimpered, flinging herself into her friend's arms. Aelin smiled and stroked the dark hair of her shifter friend. She was glad that she was in the same form that Aelin had met her in. She was young though, and Aelin didn't know how she'd done it. She didn't think there was any Fae blood in her, just part shifter and part human. She didn't care right now. All she cared was that her friend was here and alive.

"Lys, oh Lys I missed you so much." Lysandra's sobs echoed through the high-ceilinged foyer and Aelin just clung to her with all of her might. "Thank you," she whispered in her friend's ear. "Thank you for all that you gave up for me. Thank you for everything." Lysandra's arms remained around Aelin's neck as she mumbled, "I wish I could have helped you get out, I wish I could have helped rescue you." Aelin laughed sadly.

"Though Rowan was required to get me out, I like to think I saved myself." Lysandra's laughter joined hers, and her sobs relented, though Aelin could still feel the tears running down her cheeks. Aelin wanted to stay like this, in ignorant bliss, but she couldn't hold it back any longer. "Where is he, Lys?" She couldn't bear to speak his name, but still she knew Lys would know who she meant. Lysandra stiffened and pulled back, her hand cupping Aelin's cheek and the other absent-mindedly stroking her own dark locks. Her cheeks were still tear stained but no more tears fell. Aelin couldn't read her expression, but horror gripped her at the hesitation on her friend's face. At the tension that swept across the room. Lysandra opened her mouth and Aelin braced herself.

Then, as though a switch had been flicked, Lysandra's eyes moved slightly past Aelin and her mouth closed abruptly. She blinked several times, and Aelin turned to her other companions, only to find them all looking the same way. She was about to turn when a voice sounded down the wide hallway.

"Aelin?" That voice broke something inside of Aelin, and she spun to see her beloved cousin frozen down the corridor.

Tears started to roll down her cheeks, but she was rooted to the spot. "Aedion!" With that one word, Aelin launched herself down the corridor towards her cousin where he too was running towards her. Tears streamed down her face and she ignored the throbbing in her weak legs as she sprinted to meet her cousin. They collided after what felt like forever, and Aelin held onto her cousin tighter than she had ever held onto anyone before. He too was crying; ragged broken sobs that mingled with her laughter. Joy, that was what she was feeling, mixed with sorrow and pain and longing to retrieve all of the years that she had lost. Aedion spun her above his head and she laughed again. They just stood, holding each other and Aelin breathed him in. He held he so tightly that it was painful, but when he regained the ability to talk, Aelin didn't want to hear it.

"You left me. You should have told me. I should have been there. How could you not tell me?". Whilst he said this into the crook of her neck she whispered over and over again.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." Eventually, these murmurings were all that she could hear. Too soon, he pulled back and he stared straight into her eyes, his eyes mirroring her own. He grinned at her fiercely and kissed her forehead.

"I forgive you." She smiled at him again and heard footsteps approaching them. Coming up on her right, Rowan slung an arm around her waist and pulled her into him. She held him tightly, still clutching Aedion's hand with her left hand. The others had come up and they were stood in a small circle. She smiled around at her family, at Manon's arm slung around Elide, at Lorcan's wary looks at Manon, at Luca's open beam, at Lysandra and Aedion holding hands, at Rowan staring down at his mate, wife and Fireheart.

With the deep voice that she had missed so much it was painful, Rowan said, "Queen Aelin Ashryver Galathnius of Teressan, is home."


End file.
